RIVERS

Cowlitz: The number of people fishing and the success rate have dropped with higher water conditions.

Lewis: Fishing had been slowed by high water. Flows at Ariel are almost double what’s typical for this time of year.

Minter: Chum fishing has been very good, with people catching some bright fish among the darker fish. There are lots of fish in the creek, making it hard to not foul-hook some.

Nisqually: Reports have shown that fishing has improved along with the weather. People are catching some limits of bright chum.

Olympic Coast: The first of the winter-run steelhead are showing up in the rivers around Forks, and the action has been pretty good.

Puyallup: Anglers are reporting catching some bright chum as well as a few coho. Water levels and turbidity have improved thanks to cooler weather.

Skykomish: Action for winter-run steelhead has been fair to good in the Reiter Ponds section. People fishing the Wallace River section have been catching some of the last chum.

Tilton: Last week, 348 coho adults, 48 jacks, eight fall-chinook adults, five cutthroat trout and one winter-run steelhead were released into the river at Gust Backstrom Park in Morton.

Yakima: Fishing has improved as flows have fallen. Try running a nymph through the long, deep slots. Try flies such as a size 18 or 20 silver beadhead Lightning Bug, size 16 Holo Prince or size 16 or 14 an amber Clinger Nymph. San Juan worms in red or pink also are effective.

LAKES

American: Trout fishing has slowed down quite a bit.

Chelan: Lake trout fishing has been best by trolling off the yacht club. Worden’s Lures T4 Purple Glow Flatfish have been productive as well as Mack’s Lures Cha Cha Squidder and Silver Horde’s Ace Hi Flies.

Lone: Fly-fishing action at this Whidbey Island lake has been good for rainbow trout. Look for fish along the south shore. Try chironomids fished slow or streamers or leeches on a fast retrieve.

Offut: Trout action has been off and on, but people are still catching some limits of rainbows. People are using mostly pink or yellow Power Eggs fished off the bottom. Fly anglers might want to try chironomids.

SALT WATER

Hood Canal: Chum action has been good; there just haven’t been a lot of people trying their luck at the Hoodsport hatchery. The catch rate is about a fish per person.

North Sound: The Edmonds pier has been a great spot for squid. Try your luck during the last couple of hours of an incoming tide through the high slack and on darker nights with either a heavy cloud cover or no moon.

South Sound: Salmon fishing has been on the slow side, with only a handful of blackmouth being caught. The squid action has been best at Des Moines.

Jeffrey P. Mayor: 253-597-8640 jeff.mayor@thenewstribune.com blog.thenewstribune.com/adventure Contributing to this report: Red’s Fly Shop, Anton Jones of Darrell and Dad’s Family Guide Service, gamefishin.com, state Department of Fish and Wildlife, Mike Chamberlain at Ted’s Sports Center, washingtonflyfishing.com, Jim Kerr of Rain Coast Guides, and Becky Pogue at Offut Lake Resort.